Populism

It is widely argued that the rise of extreme income and wealth inequality, combined with the stagnation of wages of the middle-class and working class, have helped fuel the rise of right-wing populism and racism around the world. Many in the political centre, and not just the left, have called for robust policy measures to help create more equal societies and to counter the perception – and reality – that the economic system is rigged against ordinary working people.

In David Frum’s recently published book, Trumpocracy – The Corruption of the American Republic, Frum explores the conditions that allowed for President Donald Trump to take over the oval office. However, Frum seems to have missed the mark, by failing to appropriately cite the rise of inequality and neo-liberalism as the primary drivers of Trump’s victory.

The Broadbent Institute's new project, Change the Game, takes a critical look at the history of social democracy in Canada, with the intention of learning from the successes and challenges of the past in order to build the best possible path forward. We invite you to join us in rethinking and renewing social democracy by reading other entries in this series.

The surge of what is often called “populism” in many Western democracies, in Europe and the USA, represents a deep threat to democracy.